How long is the Ella Flow tub and its extension panel?

The Ella Flow is listed at 28 inches wide by 48 inches long by 36.5 inches high, and the dimension drawing on its current spec sheet prints the overall length as 47 3/4 inches. It ships with one extension panel, described on the sheet as a filler for 60 inch alcove installations, and our records list that panel at 12 1/2 inches so the 48 inch tub can still finish a standard 60 inch opening. Will it fit my alcove? Extension panels, end panels, and 60 inch spaces lists the panel for every model, and this page gives the Flow its own figures and explains how the tub and the panel share the wall.

The Flow's Length, Figure by Figure

The size in a model name is a rounded nominal figure, and the Flow spec sheet, dated 6/16/23, prints both the nominal size and the drawing figures. The actual size line reads 28 inches wide by 48 inches long by 36.5 inches high. The dimension drawing on page 2 of the same sheet then gives the overall length as 47 3/4 inches and the shell width as 27 3/4 inches. Those quarter-inch differences are normal rounding in the product name, not an error, and the drawing figure is the one to hold your tape measure against.

• Overall length 47 3/4 inches, with 39 3/8 inches of inner length behind the door.
• Width 27 3/4 inches on the drawing, 28 inches nominal.
• Height 36.5 inches from the floor to the top of the rim.
• Seat 20 inches wide and 13 inches long, a foot well of 16 1/2 by 22 1/2 inches and a backrest angle of 96 degrees.
• Water capacity 65 gallons unoccupied and 30 to 50 gallons with a bather seated.

The Flow uses the inward-swing acrylic S-shape door and shares its extension panel kit with the Standard and the Zen. Do walk-in tubs come in different sizes to fit my bathroom? places its 28 by 48 inch footprint among the other standard sizes Ella builds, from the 26 by 45 inch Mobile up to the 32 by 72 inch lie-down tubs.

How Long the Extension Panel Is

Every Ella walk-in tub shorter than 60 inches comes with an extension panel so it can fit a standard 60 inch tub alcove, and the Flow's spec sheet lists one extension panel, a filler for 60 inch alcove installations, among its included features. Our records list the Flow's panel at 12 1/2 inches. That is the longest filler in the line, because the Flow is the shortest tub that uses one: the 52 inch Elite, Petite and Royal use a 7 inch panel, the 55 inch Deluxe uses a 4 inch panel, and the 60 inch tubs use none at all. The panel is a trimmable side panel that rests on adjustable stainless steel shelf brackets built into the tub frame, so it is cut to the wall on site and doubles as a handy shelf.

Two things the panel does not do. It does not add length to the tub, and it does not change the interior, so the 39 3/8 inch inner length, the 20 inch seat and the foot well stay exactly as the drawing prints them. It only closes the space between the end of the shell and the alcove wall and hides the plumbing and frame behind it. The kit for the Standard, Zen and Flow uses 2 stainless L brackets, 1 plastic bracket, 2 pressure clips and 4 nuts. Your installer sets and levels the tub first, measures the gap at the top and the bottom because alcoves are rarely square, trims the panel, adjusts the brackets so it sits level with the deck and seals the seams with silicone. What Is an Extension Panel (Filler Kit) on a Walk-In Tub? walks through that fitting in detail.

The video on this page shows how the panels go together. The extension panel can be placed on the right side of the tub or on the left side, and every Ella walk-in tub also includes one reversible end panel that covers the plumbing and the frame at the open end, which on the Flow is the end that carries the faucet. If your installation will not use the extension panel, you can opt out of it on your order to reduce plastic waste. A second end panel can be purchased separately for a tub set against the back wall with both ends open.

The Flow Beside the Other Tubs That Use a Panel

The table sets the Flow against other Ella tubs that go into a 60 inch alcove, using only the lengths and panel sizes printed in Ella's published guides. Where a guide lists the panel as included without a width, the cell says so.

What the differences mean: the Flow is the only one of these tubs that leaves close to a foot of wall to fill, which is why its panel is the longest. Because the panel is trimmed on site, that length is a maximum rather than a fixed dimension, and an alcove that is slightly out of square or a little under 60 inches is handled by the cut. The 60 inch tubs have no panel to trim, so they need the full opening: the Ultimate at 59.5 inches will not go into a 59 inch space, and in that case the alcove guide points to shorter tubs, the Flow at 28 by 48 inches among them. If the room is long enough for a 52 inch tub, the Elite, Petite and Royal are longer shells with a shorter filler, and the Flow earns its place where width or doorway clearance is the tighter limit.

Measuring an Opening for the Flow

A standard bathtub is built around a 60 inch three-wall alcove, and that opening is what every replacement is measured against, as What is the standard size of a bathtub, and how do Ella tubs compare? explains. Take the figures from the opening rather than from the old tub, and compare them with the drawing figures above, not with the nominal 28 by 48.

1. Length. Measure wall to wall along the back of the alcove at deck height, once the walls are finished, because tile and backer board change the figure. A 60 inch opening is the common case and the Flow's panel is made for it. If your opening is an unusual size, give that deck-height figure to your Ella dealer or the team at (800) 480-6850, since the panel is cut down to suit the space.
2. Width. Measure from the back wall to the outer front edge of the existing tub. The Flow's shell is 27 3/4 inches wide on the drawing, and that exterior figure is also the one your installer checks against every doorway on the way in.
3. Height. Measure from the floor to the top of the rim. At 36.5 inches the Flow sets where the deck and the seat land and what the faucet wall has to clear.
4. Drain and door side. On an Ella walk-in tub the door and the drains are on opposite sides, so note which end the existing drain is on before you choose a left or right door.

How do I measure my bathtub and alcove for a replacement? covers all three directions in more depth.

Carrying the Flow in and What Else the Sheet Prints

All removable panels, including the front apron with its access panels, the end panel and the extension panel, must be removed before the tub is moved into the house and into the bathroom, and the tub is lifted by its frame. The crate is 32 by 54 by 49 inches and the shipping weight is 310 pounds, with a net weight of 210 pounds once the tub is uncrated. For the rest of the picture, the same spec sheet lists a hydro massage system with 16 jets and an in-line water heater, the 2-piece fast-fill faucet with a pull-out hand shower, one 2 inch drain on a T-type four-port body with an overflow and emergency pull-up chain, and a dedicated 110/120V line with a 15 amp GFCI outlet, which makes the Flow the one model in the line with that electrical requirement. A heated seat and backrest is the listed option.

Watch: Ella's Bubbles: Understanding Extension and End Panels with chapters and a full transcript.

Related Guides

• What is the Ella Flow walk-in tub and what makes it different?
• Ella Flow 28x48 vs Petite 28x52: which 28 inch tub is better?
• What If My Alcove Is Wider Than 60 Inches for an Ella Tub?

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